Trinity Rep Announces 2018 WRITE HERE! WRITE NOW! Winners

Trinity Rep's seventh annual playwriting competition for New England High School students, WRITE HERE! WRITE NOW! announces this year's winning playwrights: Kate Fitzgerald (Lincoln School, Providence), Jonathan Baron (La Salle Academy, Providence), James Roberts (Putney School, Putney, VT and Emma Paulhus (Dighton Rehoboth Regional High School, MA) Each award-winning student will have their ten-minute play presented by professional actors as a staged reading at Trinity Rep on May 7, 2018 at 7 pm, a free event open to the public.

WRITE HERE! WRITE NOW! is presented each year as part of the "Beyond Trinity Rep" Community Education movement at the organization. Creative writing, English, and theater teachers are asked by Trinity Rep's education department to assign a ten-minute play as a part of their classroom curriculum. All completed plays are then submitted - free of charge - to the WRTIE HERE! WRITE NOW! competition. Scripts are adjudicated through a blind evaluation process by Trinity Rep's education, artistic, and literary staff. Each year, four winners are selected with at least one winner from a Providence, RI high school. In addition to seeing their plays performed on stage, winners also receive a scholarship towards any Trinity Rep Young Actors Studio afterschool class and 20 free tickets to a Project Discovery student matinee performance during the 2018-2019 season for their school. More information on Trinity Rep's education programs or the WRITE HERE! WRITE NOW! competition can be found at: trinityrep.com/whwn

This year's four winning plays range from utterly hilarious to powerfully contemplative. "We are blown away each year when we give space and voice to the next generation of theater artists." says Matthew Tibbs, school partnerships manager and teaching artist at Trinity Rep. "This year proves to be no exception. These plays will make you laugh, think, and hopefully you'll learn a little something when the stage reveals characters both personal and profound. I encourage you to come and support this new body of work and their creators as they bravely add their voices to the public forum."

Trinity Rep's director of education, Jordan Butterfield, adds, "It is refreshing and invigorating to hear young voices express their perspectives. This year's winners are witty, beautifully descriptive and they capture vibrant moments of human existence."

Kate Fitzgerald studies at the Lincoln School in Providence, Rhode Island. Her play, 62 Moons, focuses on the relationships that we have in high school and how we can hide who we truly are.

The Case of the Stolen Sandwich by Jonathan Baron from LaSalle Academy in Providence, Rhode Island is a hilarious look at a detective story gone wrong. This story truly proves that the nose knows.

James Roberts from Putney School in Putney, Vermont writes the beautifully poignant Rattlesnake about growing up and coming out as transgender in this world.

Grandma and Technology by Emma Paulhus from Dighton Rehoboth Regional High School in Rehoboth, MA focuses on teaching how to use technology to older generations - though, they might know more than they let on.

This year's honorable mentions go to Boys. Period. by Catherine Giorgetti (Framingham High School, MA) and Accidental Burial by Rachel Fickes (St. Johnsbury Academy, St. Johnsbury, VT).

Trinity Repertory Company

Rhode Island's Tony Award-winning theater, Trinity Rep has created unparalleled professional theater for and with its community since its founding in 1963. Trinity Rep strives to facilitate human connection and has been a driving force behind the creativity that fuels and defines the region for more than 50 years.

Trinity Rep is committed to reinventing the public square and inspiring dialogue by creating emotionally-stimulating live productions that range from classical to contemporary and innovative education programs for all ages and abilities. Its annual production of A Christmas Carol has brought families together for 40 years and made memories for over a million audience members.